Proposed Southlawn gang injunction protested at meeting

People walk with bags of groceries to an apartment near the intersection of Yellowstone and Sherwood in the Third Ward on Thursday, Feb. 18, 2016, in Houston. Harris County officials are seeking an injuction to prevent nearly 100 suspected gang members from entering the two-square-mile Southlawn community in south Houston. ( Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle ) less

People walk with bags of groceries to an apartment near the intersection of Yellowstone and Sherwood in the Third Ward on Thursday, Feb. 18, 2016, in Houston. Harris County officials are seeking an injuction to ... more

Photo: Brett Coomer, Staff

Photo: Brett Coomer, Staff

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People walk with bags of groceries to an apartment near the intersection of Yellowstone and Sherwood in the Third Ward on Thursday, Feb. 18, 2016, in Houston. Harris County officials are seeking an injuction to prevent nearly 100 suspected gang members from entering the two-square-mile Southlawn community in south Houston. ( Brett Coomer / Houston Chronicle ) less

People walk with bags of groceries to an apartment near the intersection of Yellowstone and Sherwood in the Third Ward on Thursday, Feb. 18, 2016, in Houston. Harris County officials are seeking an injuction to ... more

Photo: Brett Coomer, Staff

Proposed Southlawn gang injunction protested at meeting

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Opponents of a proposed gang injunction in south Houston on Thursday night voiced frustration with authorities for failing to seek community input before filing sweeping legal action.

About 100 people attended a meeting called by foes of the action that would ban 92 men from a 2-mile area.

The meeting featured the half-dozen lawyers representing the defendants named in the civil action who are the alleged causes of crime problems in the South Union community. The lawsuit was filed in September by the offices of Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson and Harris County Attorney Vince Ryan.

If the proposed Southlawn Safety Zone is approved by a judge, the men would be legally banished from an area bounded by Interstate 610, Texas 288, Old Spanish Trail and Cullen.

The community has been plagued by crime blamed on gang activity.

Unlike previous gang injunction lawsuits, this action was not shared widely with community members. A permanent injunction hearing that defense lawyers have requested as a jury trial is scheduled in April.

Thursday's meeting was organized by activist Charles X. White, a former gang interventionist, and was moderated by former Houston city councilman Jew Don Boney to shed light on the plan and show that "the community" does not support the injunction – despite county officials' declarations and court filings.

Sending his message to Anderson, Ryan and Harris County Judge Ed Emmett, White said: "We are law-abiding citizens. We respect the law. We respect your office, but obviously you don't respect us."

"You had this damn injunction and you didn't even come to the community and explain it," he said.

White contended the authorities "are inciting a problem. It is not a gang problem, as you are trying to frame it. It is a policing problem."

Ryan and Anderson were invited to speak at the meeting but did not attend.

Their absences were explained in a letter to White issued late Thursday by John Odam, general counsel for Ryan's office.

"We are very interested in the community's input on this case. However, the judge has told all of the attorneys in this case to not talk about the case in the media," the letter said. "It is inappropriate for attorneys from the Harris County District Attorney's office and the Harris County Attorney's office to be making comments in a public meeting covered widely in the media. We remain open and receptive to discuss problems and solutions in another setting."

An excerpt from a hearing this week in the case quotes an exchange between Harris County Civil District Judge Alexandra Smoots-Hogan and the defense lawyers. The jurist told the attorneys that "this is a very dangerous situation we're dealing with, and I just caution everybody in this case to keep it to themselves and keep quiet."

She did not specifically prohibit the lawyers from speaking in public meetings or outside of representing their clients.

"Nobody's asked me to put a gag order on people, but, you know, I'm noticing there's a lot of publicity and discussion about this case, and people's lives are in danger, and you should not add to that," Smoots-Hogan said.

White said a task force of citizens opposed to the premise and practice of imposing gang injunctions will be appealing to Harris County commissioners court. He also asked injunction opponents to call Harris County to leave messages for Ryan and Anderson.

Monique Sparks, who represents several of the defendants, conceded that the lawyers had to tread lightly given the judge's admonishment. She said a civil action based on a gang identification or previous convictions deemed gang related was a constitutional issue.

"Some of these people have already been charged and convicted on their crimes. … But this is like an extra cherry on top. You went to jail. You went to prison. You paid your debt. Guess what? Now you can't come home. It's double jeopardy," she said. "Not to say I'm speaking on this case, but it's any gang injunction. You do your time. Done."